Take a Moment

With Christmas just a week away it's a good time to take a break from the chaos and bustle of getting ready for the holidays.

So step back from the mad shopping and all the items on your list to take a moment to enjoy a hot chocolate or some other soothing drink. Take the time to make it a little special, perhaps add a cinnamon stick or candy cane, froth some milk to drizzle across the top. Then sit down to drink it leisurely.

Spend those precious moments to slow down and catch your breath. Pause to consider what truly needs to be done and what isn't really all that important. It will help you gain perspective and set you back on the right path for the coming days.

Take Comfort

For all of us there are some foods that bring comfort. What those foods are differs from person to person. Perhaps it's a food you enjoyed in childhood, like ice cream, rice pudding or custard. For others it might be fresh baked bread or pie. Some prefer something savoury such as chicken in a cream sauce or a plate of spaggetti with homemade sauce.

Whatever it is you find the most comforting, why not allow yourself a wee indulgence?

Savour a Pot of Homemade Soup

I arrived home today after work only to find that the electricity was out. With all my family at various activities, I let myself into the house and made my way through the dark to the kitchen where I discovered that my husband had left a collection of candles, flashlights and a kerosene lantern for me on the kitchen table. After lighting the lantern and a wide assortment of candles, I was delighted to find that there was homemade turkey vegetable soup waiting in a large pot for me. And even better it was still hot. My husband had it cooking on our gas stove, turning it off only when he left for a fitness session.

As I sat at the kitchen table eating the soup by the light of the candles and lantern I realized that it was too dark to allow me to read. It gave me a whole new appreciation for those who lived before the invention of electricity. Imagine how many activities had to be curtailed with the setting of the sun. No wonder people lived more in tune with the seasons, taking their cue from the changing light levels, going to bed earlier as the dark advanced and getting up earlier to take advantage of the light.

What a comfort it was to have that hot soup. Soup is one of my favourites at any time, but especially on winter days. And nothing beats homemade soup. There are countless great recipes out there for soup and it really is quite simple to cook up a pot. I hope that you'll enjoy some too this winter. Soup's on!

Take Off the Chill with a Hot Drink

Hot drinks can take the chill off the coldest day. How about some Mexican hot chocolate? It's easy, just prepare a mug of hot chocolate as you normally would, and add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of chili powder. Stir.

If chocolate isn't your thing (is that even possible?) why not try a vanilla steamer? Heat up a mug of milk and add a teaspoon of vanilla and perhaps a sprinkle of ground nutmeg. Sweeten to taste. For a white hot chocolate, add some shavings of white chocolate to the vanilla steamer recipe and stir until melted.

Other possibilities to consider are hot apple cider, chai tea or any other hot beverage that you fancy.

Won't you join me in a hot drink? We're past the half-way mark in February and that's definitely something to raise a mug too!

Indulge in Chocolate

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One of the benefits of Valentine's Day falling in February is that there's lots of chocolate around. I can't think of a month where chocolate is more welcome. So indulge a little. A small amount of good chocolate goes a long way

Cocoa Locale Takes the Cake

Here are the two wee cakes I brought home from Montreal's Cocoa Locale. A rich and dark chocolate chai cake and a vanilla cake with pretty pink frosting. The cakes were dense and delicious, moist and yummy! And so very lovely to look at that even my 17-year-old son's friend who had slept over, said the next morning when I offered them a piece, "They're too pretty to eat for breakfast." So we waited until mid morning before surrendering!

Cocoa Locale, Success at Last

My blog post of May 20th, 2009 told the sad tale of my attempt to visit the delightful cake shop called Cocoa Locale. I had arrived a short time after opening hours only to find that everything was already sold out and the place was already closed for the day. So on my latest visit to Montreal, I tried once again, and in my eagerness I arrived an hour early! But persistence pays off, so after whiling away the time at some of the neighbourhood's other delightful boutiques I returned minutes after their noon opening. Crossing the threshold, I could hardly believe I was actually inside. And what a delightful wee shop it is. As you can see from the photos, it's chock full of charm and whimsy. And oh, the sweet cakes... some large, some wee-sized for two and of course cupcakes if you want one all to yourself, all with Reema's signature flourish of sprinkled flower petals across the tops. They all looked so sweet sitting there in the display case waiting for me to arrive! And there was owner Reema herself, ready to box up my selections and listen to the tale of my pilgrimages. I was so excited to finally experience Cocoa Locale that in my enthusiasm to take a few more pictures, I left the shop without my boxed cakes! So I popped back in and collected my little cake box at the counter where I'd left it and where Reema had been watching for me. The thought of me heading back home without my cakes was too much for the lovely kind Reema, who said "my heart was crying for you." And she flashed one of her warm smiles and wished me a safe drive home.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

I just tasted the best sticky toffee pudding in this world at a restaurant called Enigma, on West 10th Avenue in the Pointe Grey area of Vancouver. The pudding was light and delicious, the caramel sauce was superb and if that wasn't enough, it was accompanied by vanilla ice cream and a whole host of extra garnishes. A true work of art. I am now dreaming of sticky toffee pudding. And if I lived in Vancouver, I would be stopping in there at least once a week for this incredible dessert. Kudos go to the co-owner, Lynette, who bakes all the desserts herself. If you’re in Vancouver give this restaurant a try. Close attention has been paid to the elegant décor, welcoming atmosphere and delicious food of the highest quality. A truly enjoyable dining experience.

The Candy Store

This has to be my favourite candy shop, as much for the decor as for the candy. The wallpaper and wall colour (lighter and brighter than in these photos) are as pretty as the pastel coloured sweets and what's really lovely is how sparse the shop is. So often every space in a shop is filled with merchandise, creating a sense of overload. This store is "eye candy" in every sense of the word.

Split Personality

Lovely delicious scones, slice them in half and spread with butter and jam or devonshire cream. More often than not, scones come out of the oven with a split ready made down the middle. How do they know to do that? Just last night I was reading a book that mostly takes place in a Tea Room and the author referred to these scones as "Devonshire Splits" ... for obvious reasons.

Chasing Away the Chills

On a cool and dreary rainy day what better time is there to invite someone for afternoon tea? I'm just about to pour us a cup, won't you join me?

"S" Stands for Syrup

Maybe the "S" stands for Simply Biscotti, the cute tiny cafe and bakery where I sipped on this hot chocolate. The "S" in question is chocolate syrup that was squirted onto milk foam, unlike the designs that I posted about on September 17, 2009 which were created using a technique that involved pouring foamy milk into espresso. Chocolate syrup is quick but effective!

Lemon Tarts

Lemon tarts are one of my favourites, and when they're made with homemade lemon curd, what could be better. Lemon, sugar, eggs and butter, the purest of ingredients, makes a delectable filling paired with flaky pastry. Such a lovely shade of bright yellow, just like sunshine. They are a perfect and delicious spring dessert.

Hot Biscuits

What better way to start the morning than with some hot home-baked biscuits, cut in half and spread with homemade strawberry jam. To top it off, the biscuits gave me a reason to use this basket liner embroidered with the sweet words: "hot biscuits"! These liners meant to keep buns, or biscuits, warm seems to be a thing of the past. Now all that's needed is to fill the cups with freshly brewed tea.

Warming Up a Snowy Afternoon

With more snow falling in soft flakes today, it was the perfect time for a comforting cup of tea and a homemade treat... blueberries baked in phyllo pastry. After a morning of running errands, into the oven they went, the layers of phyllo dough browning to a delicious crispness and the blueberries softening in juicy perfection.

Won't You Join Me?

Come in and sit down, won't you? Would you care for a freshly baked cookie, along with a refeshing cup of tea?

Cupcake Anyone?

I wonder how many people were baking Valentine's Day treats for their children to take to school this week? This chocolate cupcake was topped with buttercream icing, some candy sprinkles and a candy heart sentiment.

Chocolat s.v.p.

Chocolate, what better antidote to the February blues? Badly in need of such a pick-me-up, I looked up this recipe for Pots de creme au chocolat from Paris Bistro Cooking, a book with pictures so incredibly charming it is just as much an antidote as chocolate. Not only mouth-watering photos of the food, but also gorgeous descriptions of the featured French bistros and accompanying images of their exteriors and interiors. A lovely way to be transported to France on a wintry afternoon.

The pot de creme looks a little crusty on the top, but underneath it was the silky smooth creamy mixture that one would expect.

Retro Gingerbread Man

Gingerbread men and I have a long history. As a young child my mom would always take my sister and I to Ogilvy’s in Montreal at Christmas time. Standing outside in front of their Christmas window with its mechanical Steiff animals we watched in awe and fascination as the animal folk went about their daily chores such as baking bread, sweeping the walk, and carting things about. Eventually we would tear ourselves away, pass through the front doors and take one of the gated elevators run by young women in white gloves and tartan kilts to an upper floor. Once there, we would join the assembled crowd of children to watch Ogilvy’s entertaining puppet shows, while sipping milk and nibbling first the legs, then the arms of a gingerbread man.

In those days there weren’t any gingerbread ladies. Such cookie cutters were yet to come. By the time my children came along, they had their choice of men or women to devour. When my sons were in middle school I went traditional and made gingerbread men for the annual Christmas Concert bake sale to raise funds for the band. Each gingerbread fellow was decorated with royal icing, had a cinnamon heart, and was wrapped in his own little bag tied with ribbon and festooned with a tiny candy cane.

At a church rummage sale a couple of years ago, I stumbled across the vintage cookie cutter pictured here. It was love at first sight. I’m not sure what era he belongs to, maybe the forties? But, oh my, he is charming! And he gets a cinnamon heart as well when I bake him.

La Cabosse d'or

After a hike up Mont St. Hilaire, having worked up a little appetite, a great place to stop at the base of the mountain, is the chocolatier La Cabosse d'or, just down the street from Auclair's barn. Unfortunately for me, this wonderful chocolate wasn't around when I was young and living just a short distance away. Among the assortment of chocolates we purchased is a postcard of Mont St. Hilaire.